Installing AutoCAD 14 in an Engineering Environment

In an environment where several design drafters work with AutoCAD 14 and various libraries of symbols are shared across a network, there is a need for the adoption of a consistent approach to the installation of AutoCAD on each workstation. This set of notes takes you step by step through the installation steps in such an environment.

Operating system

Our advice is to use Windows NT 4.0 workstation as the operating system for your computer rather than Win 95 or Win 98. NT Workstation is much more stable than the alternatives. 

Installation of AutoCAD

You will need to log onto the workstation with administrator privileges in order to install AutoCAD (and any other application).

1. Start Windows NT Explorer and create a new folder (sub-directory) called (we suggest) Acad14_cfg

2. Put the AutoCAD CD-ROM into the PC. The setup application should automatically start, if not, start Windows NT Explorer and click on setup.exe in the CD-ROM.

3. Enter the information required by the setup program. You will need the access code stamped on the back of the CD-ROM cover.

Select the full installation option. If you do not do this and take the 'typical' option, the bonus tools ( a collection of valuable AutoLISP programs) will not be installed.

When asked for the destination of the AutoCAD program itself, do not accept the default of C:\Program Files, but install the program at the highest level in the hard disk. We suggest in a folder called AutoCAD 14. The significance of this step will be seen later. If you do not do this, the AutoCAD search path gets to be too long and will not allow proper setup.

4. A shortcut to AutoCAD will be created on the desktop. Click the icon and test that AutoCAD runs properly. You will be asked for a software key (obtained from Autodesk). 

You should also keep a copy of the serial number of the hardware lock. Thus there are three numbers for each machine - the CD-ROM key, software key and hardware lock serial number.

After this install, the default search path inside AutoCAD should be is C:\AutoCAD;  C:\AutoCAD 14\support; C:\AutoCAD 14\fonts; C :\AutoCAD 14\help. 

Make sure that the Autosave time gets set to 10 minutes, not 120 minutes which in our view is too long.

5. Now log on to the network as the usual user. Make a copy of the desktop shortcut and rename it so that the name is meaningful (e.g. AutoCAD 14 with aset). Set up the properties as shown below.

After the call to acad14.exe, set the /c switch to c:\ACAD14_cfg. This will ensure that a unique configuration file lives locally on the machine and is kept separate from the standard (out of the box) configuration file. 

After the /c switch, set up a /s switch - path for AutoCAD. here you type in the complete search path for this copy of AutoCAD. An example is shown below:

/s "T:\aset;C:\AutoCAD r14;C:\AutoCAD r14\support;C:\AutoCAD r14\bonus;C:\AutoCAD r14\help;C:\AutoCAD r14;\fonts"

In this case, AutoCAD will look in the T: drive for a file ACAD.LSP and act on any instructions contained within. This file would load any special routines for your drafter. A sample AutoLISP file is shown below.

; Automatic start-up function for AutoCAD

;

(defun S::STARTUP()

   (setvar "CMDECHO" 0)

   (setvar "MENUECHO" 0)

   ; set #dwgsc

   (setq #dwgsc (getvar "LTSCALE"))

   (load "t:/aset/descad.lsp")

   (load "T:/aset/lines.lsp")

   (load "t:/aset/begin.lsp")

   (LOAD "T:/ASET/ENHAN_CH.LSP")

      (prin1)

)

The quotes in the search path are not strictly necessary, but are required if you have spaces in any of the directory (folder) names. 

6. Start AutoCAD with this shortcut icon and its attendant properties. Use the Preferences command and check that the new search path has indeed been set up.

7. Test your LISP programs.